The Return of the Crow
by DelenaDJ
Summary: PART OF MY CANON COLLECTION. Whoever said time heals all wounds was wrong. Death is painful and messy, but maybe, just maybe, it's not as permanent as everything thinks it is. Post Season 5. A Damon and Bonnie resurrection story.
1. Hustler

"Goodbye, my warrior princess," said Damon's ghost, knowing his love couldn't hear him, but taking some comfort in the fact that she could feel his presence. "Thank you for making my life worth something."

When he disappeared to join Bonnie, Elena felt that tug, like her heart was being ripped out of her chest. She literally felt his presence leave and the grief completely consumed her. For minutes, she cried until she had no tears left. She just stood against the wall in shock. She had nothing left. It was all gone. She kept trying to tell herself this couldn't be it. This couldn't be the end. This was supposed to be their beginning. She wasn't supposed to lose her soul mate. She wasn't supposed to have a broken heart. She felt numb inside. When he left, he took her heart, everything that made her Elena. He took it with him. She knew she'd never love again…never be happy again. All she wanted was him. That ridiculous smirk that made her want to slap him, those sexy blue eyes, and that smile. God, she wanted that smile he only showed her. Elena shook her head in disbelief. She'd been so stupid to think this would last. Yes, they were immortal, but immortality doesn't cancel out the undeniable truth that nothing lasts. Everything has an end. And Elena had received the short end of the stick. She wanted to hope, to believe that somehow she'd get him back. It was a nice thought. To hope that somehow the sorrow, the pure turmoil in her body could be drained out of her. But The Other Side no longer existed. Hoping…all it would lead to is a tortuous existence. It would leave her so vulnerable that no one would be able to put her back together and there's only so much pain she could take. She felt a presence and turned thinking it was Damon, but all she saw were Alaric's eyes. She couldn't take his pity and slowly walked out of the mausoleum as if the reincarnation of death itself, the screams of her brother muffled by the ache of her heart.

Across the country as Damon and Bonnie passed on to the great beyond, a vampire's eyes opened, startled by a connection she had lost.

Days upon days passed. Elena had lost count of how many. Currently, the supernatural element of Mystic Falls had taken refuge in an abandoned house near Whitmore. Everyone was grieving in their own way. Alaric and Enzo by drinking, Stefan would go off for days at a time to parts unknown, and Caroline and Tyler would tag along, making sure he didn't do something he'd regret, Jeremy would sit at that bench where he and Bonnie kissed after she came back, sometimes Matt would join him and Elena, well, Elena either did one of two things. She was either cooped up inside her new bedroom or she'd visit the grave. She couldn't call it Damon's. It made it all too real. She'd stand in front of it in the forest for hours, just looking at it. The bold lettering, the rough edges. They reminded her of him. Bold and rough, never afraid to voice his opinion and let people know that he wouldn't change for anything. Elena scoffed. Stupid man. He'd never admit it, but he'd changed…for her. When she'd never even asked him to. She knew it. He knew it.

If there was a hell, Damon wasn't in it because Elena felt like every day, every breath…this was her hell. Time doesn't heal all wounds. It just makes you realize the massive, gaping hole in your chest that will never be filled. She had bad days, days where she couldn't even get off that creaky mattress the previous homeowners called a bed, and there were good days. Today wasn't one of them. She knew everyone was waiting for her to snap out of her funk, to just get over it, but she couldn't. The left side of the bed was cold and no one else understood that but her. No one else had shared those special moments when they'd just look at each other and she really saw _him_, not the person everyone expected him to be. Tears streamed down Elena's face. She hated this. She couldn't even count on one hand how many times she'd considered pulling her ring off her finger and just ending it all. He had totally consumed her and now all that was left was a hollow, empty shell of the girl she used to be.

She felt a presence behind her, but didn't even turn. Maybe it was someone who'd put her out of her misery.

"I'd hoped the rumors weren't true," said a proper English voice behind her. Elijah. "For your sake. When?"

"I don't remember," Elena replied, her voice cracked and dry from not being used.

"Elena?"

"I can't…it's like I'm standing still and every thing's passing me by in slow motion. Every breath is agony. I want to die."

"Then why haven't you?"

"He'd be so mad. Why are you here?"

"I came for you. When I heard of his…accident, I grew concerned."

"Everyone else wants me to move on, but I…I loved him."

"You don't need to explain yourself to me. I understand exactly how debilitating love can be."

"Tell me what to do because I don't think I can keep doing this. I can't keep feeling like this."

"I can't do that. I won't make choices for you."

"You sound like him."

"You know Damon and I met once before everything with my brother happened." Elena then looked at Elijah.

"He never…"

"We both made blood oaths to a mutual friend of ours to never ever discuss it. I'd known her for decades, but Damon met her in the early 60s. She can tell the story better than I. She was quite the spitfire back then. She was the one who called me about…this."

"I'm really not in the mood for a history lesson, Elijah. I just want to be left alone."

"Do you? I'm not trying to give you false hope or anything, but I think you should see her. She's a very special vampire. She can tell you everything you want to know about the three of us. She might even know of a way to bring him back." Elena looked at Elijah, confused. "Like I said, she's special." He handed her a card, featuring a cursive script: _Emmalyne Sarcosi, CEO. Blood Desire Hotel & Casino, 3131 Las Vegas Blvd. South. Las Vegas, NV. Where your blood's desires are brought to life. _Elena looked up from reading the card and saw Elijah was gone.

Elena returned to the house and felt like the card she was carrying was burning in a hole in her pocket. Hope started to trickle past the barriers she'd constructed around her wounded heart and mend the jagged pieces together. She needed a distraction and she found just that when a college student knocked on the door of the house. The stupid kid was going around the neighbor, passing out flyers for some club. Veins appeared around Elena's eyes and she pulled the human into the house before sinking her fangs into his tender flesh. She gorged herself on blood until Stefan returned with Caroline, interrupting her.

"Elena!" Stefan yelled. "What are you doing? Is this who you're going to be? He's gone and you're going to turn into what he used to be?" Elena dropped the drained body like it was nothing and turned to Stefan, her mouth smeared with blood.

"When are you going to get it, Stefan? I am him. All of him. I always have been. Whether you want to see that or not is up to you."

"Damon would not have wanted this."

"I don't give a crap what he would have wanted. He lied to me."

"Elena."

"He promised. He promised me he'd come back. He lied. And I was stupid enough to let him go on some suicide mission when there were ten different ways we could have blown the Grill up. But, oh no, Damon has to choose the one path that ends with him going down in a blaze of glory. Stupid man. This is your fault." Stefan looked down. "I hate you. He chose you over me and I hate it more than anything I've ever hated in my life."

"Elena, that's not fair," Caroline defended her friend.

"Fair? Well, sorry, Caroline, but life's just not fair. My boyfriend died to bring his brother back to life, partly because you wouldn't stop _whining_! So I'm done. You got Stefan and I lost the love of my life and my best friend to top it off. So no more telling me I have to move on or telling me what _my_ boyfriend would have wanted. You have no inkling of the man he was and you never will." Elena walked out the door.

"Where are you going!" Caroline yelled.

"Away from you!" Elena got in her car and sped away from the house. As she drove down an abandoned road, she noticed Alaric and Enzo standing in the middle of the road as if in an attempt to stop her from doing something reckless. Elena skidded to a stop and exited the car.

"Get out of the road," she murmured, on the verge of sounding emotionless.

"Where are you going, Elena?" Alaric asked, concerned.

"I think there's a way to bring Damon back, but I swear to God, if you tell Stefan, I will never speak to you again."

"I'm in," said Enzo as he walked to the car, whistling a tune.

"How certain are you?" Alaric asked.

"It comes from a reliable source."

"Let's go get my drinking buddy back." Alaric climbed into the back seat and Elena turned to the driver's seat. "So where we headed?"

"Sin City," Elena replied as she started the engine and began to drive. _We are going to have our future together, Damon. I swear it._


	2. Heads Will Roll

After a six-hour flight, Elena joined by Alaric and Enzo landed at McCarran International and were met at the gate by three stern-looking men dressed in suits.

"Ms. Gilbert?" one of the men asked, approaching the young vampire.

"Yes?" Elena replied cautiously. Oh, boy. Who was she going to have to compel to get out of this?

"We're associates of The Guardian."

"The who?" Enzo asked, confused.

"Ms. Emma. She's been expecting you all. We have a car waiting. We'll escort you all to Blood Desire." The three vampires, exercising extreme caution, followed the bodyguards.

"Who exactly is this woman?" Alaric whispered.

"Elijah just gave me her card and told me to find her. That she was some special kind of vampire." Elena handed Alaric the card.

"Huh. Emma." They walked outside and into the limousine awaiting them. It was a tight fit for all six people.

"The Guardian will wish for you all to have some time to settle into a room she's prepared for you. She absolutely despises those that don't appear to her in the proper fashion so I highly suggest you all clean up."

"This woman sure has a lot of bloody rules," Enzo grumbled. Elena only nodded in understanding. Damon had told her about vampires like this. In vampire society, the custom is for young vampires to show respect to their elders, although Damon never seemed to follow that rule, but maybe this Emma person had been different. At this point, Elena didn't care. If kissing a little ass got her her lover back, then she'd do it. No questions asked.

The limousine then stopped at a large multi-story black glass building with the name Blood Desire scrawled in red in a beautiful cursive script. Sliding glass doors opened and a gust from the AC washed over them as they entered the palatial lobby. With white marble floors, white walls and ceilings, and plush red rugs, Blood Desire was the epitome of elegance. They were led to the elevator and ultimately a two-story, three master bedroom duplex.

"She will expect you all in one hour at XS. Don't be late. She abhors tardiness."

"I'm beginning to think this person abhors a lot of things," Enzo snapped. Elena rolled her eyes.

"Just get cleaned up, idiot," she growled before walking into her own private bathroom. After taking a shower and wiping away the grime of the plane ride, she walked into her private bedroom and opened a closet which was filled to the brim with clothes. It appeared Emma knew more about them than they knew about her. She even knew Elena's size. After parting half of her wavy hair into a bun, she pulled on a beige patterned sequin embellished dress with a chiffon top, a blush crepe and satin tuxedo blazer, and matching heels. Elena had a feeling this Emma was a formal kind of gal so the extra glam might win her some brownie points. When she left the bedroom, Enzo and Alaric were also ready. Both the boys were wearing suits minus ties. They walked down to the first floor and saw a sign signaling that Blood Desire's club, XS, was by the pool. When they arrived at the entryway, a bouncer blocked it off. A sign cited "Private Party."

"Sorry, ma'am. As you can see, private party."

"The Guardian's expecting me," Elena repeated what one of the men from earlier had said. The bouncer sighed as if having heard this before.

"And them?"

"They're my fri…"

"Bodyguards," Enzo replied. He then whispered in Elena's ear, "Play along. These old vampires are all a lot of show. You've got to prove to her you're not scared of her."

"Oh really?" the bodyguard replied.

"Yes. They're my guards. Very old. Him. He's an Original," Elena replied, motioning to Alaric. Alaric crossed his arms, faking irritation for the bouncer. The man gulped.

"Um, names?"

"Alaric Saltzman."

"Lorenzo Sarcosi."

"Elena Gilbert."

"Sarcosi, Gilbert. Oh, shit. I'm so sorry. Ms. Emma's going to have my head. Please, please come in. So sorry." The man ushered them in and Alaric and Elena both were confused.

"Your surname's Sarcosi?" she asked Enzo.

"Yeah. What about it?"

"You have any family we don't know about?" Alaric asked.

"Not alive."

"Then why is your last name the same as this person we're meeting?"

"Wait. Emma Sarcosi? That's who we're meeting? Oh dear God." They walked further into the club, the beat of the Yeah Yeah Yeahs' Heads Will Roll reverberating through the speakers.

"Well, well, well. Been a long time, Lori." Amongst the throngs of vampires writhing on the dance floor and feeding on humans in the lounge area came a melodious feminine voice. On a gold couch in the center of the lounge was a stunning brunette wearing an orange top, gold floral print skirt, and tailored orange jacket, sipping from a long stemmed glass with a red fluid that Elena guessed was blood. "If I'd known you were coming, I would have really rolled out the red carpet."

"Oh my God," Enzo gasped.

"Enzo?" Elena asked.

"Guys, Emma Sarcosi, my wife."

"Dude, your wife calls you a girl's name," Alaric laughed.

"Shut up, Ric," Enzo spat, annoyed. "Thought you were dead, Em."

"Ditto," Emma replied. "But we can have our heart-felt reunion at another time. You must be Elena and Alaric. I've heard so much about you. Please have a seat." They sat down and were served three glasses of blood. "As I'm sure you've already guessed, I am Emma Sarcosi, wife of Lorenzo Sarcosi, proprietor of Blood Desire, a vampire of Niklaus Mikaelson's line. I am also known as The Guardian. I gained that alias due to my role as the leader of an enclave of vampires known as Valkyries. Now I've told you about me. Elena, I'd like to know a little about you. Why have you come?"

"I received a message from the Original, Elijah Mikaelson."

"Ah. The Noble One."

"He told me that you were an old friend of his and Damon."

"And what is Damon to you?" Elena grew confused. Was this woman toying with her? She knew all of this, but yet she was asking.

"For a lack of a better word, he's my boyfriend."

"I know. Sorry about that, but I had to test you…to make sure you weren't lying and weren't a vampire from a rogue faction. I can detect lies through the heartbeat much like that whore, Rebekah Mikaelson. And let's clear things up shall we. Elijah isn't the one who asked you to come here. I did." Elena cocked her head. "I became aware of Damon's unfortunate demise before most vampires did. Much like I'm sure you did, I felt his presence leave this earth. It was quite painful. A casualty of binding vampires to your mind."

"Still up to your old tricks I see," Enzo grumbled.

"Time doesn't change a vampire that much, dear. You look puzzled, Elena, Alaric. Let me explain. Once upon a time, during the apex of the Black Death, a bastard Original vampire took pity on a young girl on the verge of death. He gave her the gift of immortality and when she woke, she learned his name, Niklaus Mikaelson. However, soon she realized he was not only a bastard through his blood. He was a vicious, backstabbing monster."

"Good to see time hasn't caused Klaus to change," Elena muttered.

"Ah, you're familiar with the man."

"Too familiar."

"Well, over time the first vampire turned by the Original Family roamed the world, hoping to ease the ache in her stomach and her heart. I eventually turned Lorenzo and together we glutted ourselves on blood, but soon I lost him to the humans. Decades prior to that, I had become fast friends with Elijah Mikaelson and our little trio was complete when we found Damon on the street, starving, his body aching from the torture inflicted upon him. We gave him a home and he told us of all he'd experienced. Elijah and I had encountered our fair share of curious humans, but this time they'd gone too far. We all resolved to hunt down every vampire-hunting organization on the planet because we were certain that Augustine wasn't the only one and we were right. With the full backing of the Originals, the Valkyries were formed, an enclave of vampires whose sole mission was to eliminate any trace of vampire-hunting organizations, whether that be their records, their facilities, or the people who ran them. At the outset of our mission, Elijah, Damon, and I wished to demonstrate a show of solidarity among those who followed us. I conducted a spell that linked all three of our minds."

"Wait, magic?" Alaric asked. "I thought vampires couldn't do magic."

"Idiot," Enzo replied. "Why do you think she went through the whole spiel about being the first vampire turned by an Original?"

"Lorenzo's correct. Being the First comes with perks. I am the sole vampire alive that retained her ability to perform magic. It's why I've lived this long and it's why I'm called The Guardian. I use my magic to protect the vampire race from humans who think they can play God."

"Emma, to be honest, I could care less about you," Elena snapped. Enzo choked on his blood.

"Elena! You don't say things like to the oldest vampire…" Emma raised a hand, silencing Enzo.

"It's alright. I appreciate a blunt vampire, especially one with your elegance. You had the good sense to where the clothes I provided. Damon has taught you well. You want to know what I can do for you?" Elena nodded. "The night Damon…I felt his presence leave. I felt the connection we shared sever, but more importantly his contract evaporated."

"Contract?"

"Yes, all vampires that are of the status Valkyrie have a contract with me. Elijah has one as well. This contract is signed in blood and states the terms of our agreement and the bounds in which the vampire may operate. For example, Damon's contract stated he would work for the Valkyries, but would be given a brief reprieve in order to free his love, Katherine. After that didn't work out, he called me. You, my dear, intrigued him. He wanted to stay. I allowed it. I could have chosen not to. I could have ordered him to come to me. That's the way blood contracts work. So you really should be thankful because without me, you and Damon…you wouldn't exist."

"Are you threatening me? Elijah said you wanted to help," said Elena.

"Oh, but I do, my dear. Damon was one of my best assassins. My prize stallion. I want him back."

"To kill for you."

"For that and well…Damon was my best friend. I'm not totally heartless. I see that you wear his ring." Emma glanced at Damon's ring around Elena's neck. "You loved him very much. I remember how he'd always call me in the bloody middle of the night. It was either for two reasons: he was pissed at you or he needed ideas on how to treat you right. You were it for him. You were the one. Love for a vampire…it's sacred and not to be meddled with. That is why I will help you. Of course, there will be terms to our deal that you'll have to agree to. Balance has to be achieved to appease the dark spirits I call upon. Are you willing to risk everything for that?"

"Whatever you want, I'll do it. Just bring him back."

"Very well. For this to work, I need access to your mind. Just a little peek. Give me your hands." Elena held her hands out and Emma took them. Her eyes grew white as she sifted through Elena's memories. She was overwhelmed by it all and immediately let go. "Two flames that merge into one. I'll be damned. It does exist. I can do it. I can bring him back, but it's…dangerous…costly."

"What are your demands?"

"First, let me go through the process. The only way for me to bring him back is to bind him to your blood."

"Fine," Elena replied.

"You don't even know what that means so don't go saying it's fine. Binding a vampire to another vampire rarely happens even for those that share the purest of love. Even Enzo and I aren't blood-bonded."

"Yeah, for good reason," Enzo spat.

"Well, I'm assuming you and Enzo don't have a typical relationship," Elena snapped.

"Hmm. True. Our relationship is particularly volatile. But that's beside the point. If I bind Damon to your blood it means that if you die, he dies. If he dies, you die. You will be bound together for eternity."

"Do it," Elena replied.

"Well, I admit. You're just as ballsy as Damon said you are. He will be so pissed at me, but he's not here. In order to bind him to you, I have to have his blood. Him being dead puts us in a little bit of a pickle though so we're going to have locate vampires Damon's turned and get five liters of their collective blood. So you'll definitely be included in that. Know any vamps he's turned lately?"

"Yeah. I know a few. My friend, Caroline, and my best friend's mother, Abby. I also heard about some vampire he turned. I think her name's Charlotte."

"Ah. Charlotte the Loon. Always wondered about that one. I can locate her. Will Caroline and Abby come if you call?"

"I can make it happen."

"Good. Oh, familial blood would also be good. How about Stefan?" Elena grimaced.

"I'd rather not include him. He's the one who got us into this mess."

"True, but he's a necessary evil. Call him. Also, I'll need the witches who cast the spell that was used on your witch friend, Bonnie, I believe."

"I don't know how to find them."

"We'll do it together because I know exactly where they are."

"What are your terms?"

"Oh, the fun part. In exchange for bringing Damon back from the great beyond, a contract will be forged between me, you, Damon, Stefan, Caroline, Alaric, and Enzo. You all will be Valkyries. And as an added incentive for you to agree, I'll throw in bringing Bonnie back too."

"You are such a bitch," Enzo muttered before sipping his blood. Emma shrugged.

"I need more Valkyries. I'm running dangerously low and the amount of vampire-hunting organizations is on the rise. And becoming a Valkyrie isn't such a bad thing. I've improved the process."

"What do you mean?" Alaric asked.

"Everyone who's in this contract will be gifted with abilities quite similar to yours, Alaric. You'll become a lot hardier than your regular run of the mill vamp. Since I'm binding you to Damon, Elena, it's the least I can do. Making you both stronger will make you less likely to die on me. I always take care of my children. You'll be granted strength comparable to an Original. The only thing you'll be vulnerable to is fire."

"Elena, this is a deal with the devil. You don't have to do this. We'll find another way," said Alaric.

"We've been doing that ever since Damon died and we've found nothing!" Elena spat. "This is my one shot. We're gonna have our future together. I accept your terms. Although, I can't guarantee the others will be willing to work for you."

"Oh, don't you worry about that. Everything will work out. Especially when I free your little town from that annoying barrier. Caroline and Stefan will be kissing my feet. The contract will allow for you all to return home until you inevitably have to leave. Then you can either return to Blood Desire or move to another location of your choice, but mark my words the contract is binding. You will be Valkyries. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal," Elena replied.

"Great. Now all I need to get the ball rolling is a little of your blood. I need to contact Damon." Elena took an empty glass on the table, bit her wrist, and let the liquid flow into the glass. "Excellent. Tomorrow, we'll hunt down the witches and their coven. For tonight, enjoy the party, drink from my donors. You're going to need your strength." Emma then took the glass and left for her private apartment in the hotel. She laid the glass of blood on a table and raised her hand over the glass. The blood began to boil and Emma's eyes turned black. When they reverted to their normal color, she saw an all too familiar back. "Hello, Damon." Damon turned around and sighed.

"You," he growled.

"Me."

"Should have known. Only you would have the kind of juice to pull me back from that hell hole."

"Must be boring to only have a witch for company."

"I'm making do."

"Hmm. Well, what if you didn't have to?"

"Do you not remember Prague? The bad intel. You almost got me killed! No thanks. You already screwed me over once. There's no way in hell I'd make a deal with you."

"Well, I've learned from my mistakes, dear Damon, and as to deal making, that sucks for you." Emma took a sip from the blood in the glass. "Wow. Your girl tastes amazing." Damon flashed in front of Emma and went to punch her, but his hand went straight through her face. "Sorry. You're still a ghost."

"What have you done?"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures. And I'm really desperate. My Valkyries are dropping like flies all thanks to you."

"Oh please. Don't be such a drama queen."

"Who's being a drama queen? Because I'm not. Ever since you left, everything's been falling apart. They won't stay in line. Keep screwing up every mission I set up."

"I told you the contracts would never work."

"You didn't say that when we started it."

"Because I was young and stupid and vindictive. I wanted revenge."

"Oh, but now you don't need that? Well, too bad. You're coming back into the fold. You're the only one who can control them and I need you back."

"Is that the sound of worry I hear?"

"Did you really think it was going to end if you just snapped Wes' neck? The Society's preparing for a full-out assault. Wes e-mailed the chemical formulation of the Ripper toxin to all his colleagues. It's not over. I've received orders from Klaus."

"And after all these years, you're still his bitch."

"Whether I'm his bitch or not is irrelevant. If we want to survive, hell, if you want Elena to survive, we need to nip this in the bud. Like last week. You're going to help me."

"How? If you hadn't noticed, I'm not in much of a fighting form."

"Your girl and I made a deal."

"Please tell me she wasn't stupid enough to agree."

"Her main concern right now is…you."

"Damnit. You're a monster. You took advantage of a girl who's grieving."

"You haven't realized it yet, have you? That girl will be constantly in grief until the day she pulls her daylight ring off. I just gave her a purpose. You should be thanking me. I'm going to reunite two lost flames. And to boot I'm throwing in a Bennett witch."

"What were the terms?"

"Oh, let's not get into that."

"What were the terms?" he repeated.

"You, Elena, your brother, Caroline, Enzo, and Alaric work for me now. Elena will be signing the contract tomorrow."

"Let me talk to her."

"I don't think so. You'll try to talk her out of it."

"Yeah, because it's bloody stupid! You will destroy her. She's not like you or me, Emma. She's good."

"And won't it be so much fun to corrupt her?" Emma smirked. Damon growled. "Oh, don't get all growly at me. I'm going to be your savior. You should be thanking me."

"How much did you tell her about us?"

"Enough."

"Which means not nearly enough."

"I admit your girl is ballsy. I had to embellish quite a bit of our story. Make it seem like we were the best of friends. She has no clue you were only a pawn that Elijah and I used. An effective pawn, but still a pawn. And even after all that, I had to add the Bennett in because I was afraid she wouldn't bite. She's cautious. Just like you."

"When I'm back, I will kill you."

"You can try, but I don't think you will when I'm done with you. Because you see, I can make it so you have no memories of your Elena."

"No. Don't do it. Emma."

"Say please."

"Don't do it, please," Damon grit out.

"Very well, I'll allow you to keep your memory if you agree to the terms of the contract and do as you're told."

"Fine."

"Good. I knew you'd see things my way. I'll be performing a spell to bind you to Elena in three days time."

"A binding? ARE YOU NUTS! IF I DIE…"

"Enough shouting! Don't you worry, Damon. You'll be back and better than ever…at Original strength. When you return to your dimension, feed Bonnie your blood. That will link you to her and allow me to bring you both back. I've also cast a spell on your ghost that once you've completed your task, you'll enter a pocket dimension I've created. It's quite like the Other Side. You'll be able to see Elena, but she won't be able to see you so don't try anything funny and no telling Bonnie anything!"

"Alright, fine. Just send me back, would ya? I forgot how boring your lectures are." With the flick of her fingers, Damon disappeared. "You can come out now, Lorenzo." Enzo appeared from the shadows. "I take it you heard everything."

"I did."

"Well, you could easily spill your guts to Elena. So what's it going to be? My side or hers?"

"I want revenge on all of The Society," said Enzo. "Better to deal with the devil you know." Emma smirked. He took the glass of Elena's blood and downed it all in one gulp.


	3. If You Say So

"Lori! Stop that. It tickles," Emma giggled from underneath the sheets before she surfaced with her husband.

"Don't call me Lori," Enzo growled as he nuzzled Emma's neck.

"You know I only call you that because of the reaction I get out of you."

"You embarrassed me yesterday."

"Oh, come on, Enzo. Alaric is Damon's best friend. Not yours." Enzo flipped back to his side of the bed. "Oh, don't be so pouty."

"I think I've deserved pouty. All these years you've been around and you never found me."

"Oh, let's not go into that this early in the morning, dear. You won't like what I have to say."

"Are you implying that you knew where I was?" Emma shrugged. "You knew where I was this entire time and didn't come rescue me!"

"Wow. You really are a bitch," Damon said from the corner. Emma looked at him and Enzo's gaze turned as well.

"What are you looking at?" Enzo asked.

"Shut up, Damon!" Emma growled.

"Whatever. I'm going to watch Elena."

"Damon's here?" Enzo asked.

"He's gone now. Do you really want the truth?"

"Yes."

"When I found Damon, he told me you were dead. I did some digging and found evidence that you had survived and the Augustines had moved you. I planned on rescuing you…until I discovered _her._ The human."

"Maggie," Enzo gulped.

"Damon told me all about how you'd fallen for a human. You know how I feel about that. It's disgusting. Humans are beneath us. I was so consumed by rage that I decided to let you sit there and rot. Maybe your human would save you. I've lived a long time, Lorenzo. I haven't had many regrets, but that decision. I regret that. Then I heard of your release, but you were still infatuated with the human so…whatever."

"We're both a bunch of fuck-ups, aren't we?" Emma laughed.

"You got that right."

"So what we do now?"

"Who says we have to do anything? Maybe we can just be content and enjoy the moment. Maybe we can just do this." Emma hovered over him and kissed him. Enzo growled into the kiss and flipped Emma onto her back. Being stronger and faster, Emma flipped him back over, straddling him. "Tell me."

"What do you want to know?"

"About the girl. Elena. You've been around her longer than I. What have you observed? What do you think of her?"

"I think she's like Katherine Pierce without the bitchy attitude."

"Hmm. Katherine Pierce. Now she was a kick-ass vampire. I should have recruited her. Too bad she's dead. I wonder how that happened."

"Damon told me Elena force-fed her a cure for vampirism that ended up killing her."

Emma laughed, "Katherine Pierce a human. It doesn't get much better than that."

"I think Elena will serve her purpose. She's very determined about what she wants. Although, she does try to do the right thing for her friends and family."

"Hmm. That could prove problematic. I'll just have to break her before Damon gets his hands on her."

"You truly are the devil reincarnated," Enzo chuckled before kissing her.

Meanwhile, Elena was sleeping in her bed at Blood Desire. Damon sat on the edge of the mattress, watching her as she slept.

"Oh, Elena," he sighed. "You have no idea what you've signed us up for. They won't be happy, but maybe there's a way out of this yet."

Later that morning, Elena met with Emma at a restaurant inside the casino named Allegro.

"Breakfast?" Emma asked.

"I'm not really that hungry. I'd actually like to get started on finding the witches."

"Oh, that won't be necessary. I had a tactical team put them in custody last night."

"That was…quick," Elena replied, confused.

"Your friends, Liv and Luke…"

"They're not my friends," Elena interrupted.

"Well, that's good to hear because they aren't mine either. Their coven has cost me quite the bit of business over the years not to mention they're pro-vampire hunting groups so…they're kind of on my shit list. Their coven is native to Las Vegas so it was easy for me to pick them up. If you'd like, you could have a word or two with them."

"Don't do it, Elena. She's trying to trick you," Damon said, appearing between them. Emma rolled her eyes.

"Damon, what a pleasant surprise." Elena looked around, but didn't see him.

"He's…he's here?" Elena asked, smiling slightly. Emma nodded.

"Last night I performed a spell to move Damon and your witch friend, Bonnie, out of the dimension Sheila Bennett put them in into one that is more accessible to me."

"Why can't I see him?"

"Sorry. He's still a ghost."

"But you can see him."

"Yes. As the caster of the spell, I'm granted that ability. Don't worry. You'll have your Damon back soon. Now back to the witches."

"Quit bullying her," Damon growled. "She's not the vindictive type."

"Damon thinks a little revenge is in order. Considering Luke forced Liv to abort the spell early so Damon was left behind."

"Where are they?" Elena growled.

"Follow me." She led Elena back through the kitchen into an abandoned storage area. The first thing Elena saw was a large ring of iron and salt confining a gaggle of witches. "Don't worry about them trying anything funny. They've been doused with a magic suppressant so they're pretty much helpless, like humans in that regard." Elena noticed Liv and Luke and dragged them out of the circle by their feet. Damon then appeared beside Emma, not pleased one bit. "So much for your girl not being vindictive, eh, Damon?"

"Shut up." Emma giggled.

"I need your help," said Elena to Liv.

"Why would I help you? You're in league with that freaky vampire wench!" Liv pointed at Emma.

"I've been called worse," Emma replied. Elena then grabbed Luke in a headlock.

"So help me I'll kill him and there's no way he's coming back this time."

"You wouldn't."

"I've lost everything thanks to you. I'd be happy to return the favor. One snap and your only family is dead."

"You're going to kill us all anyway so what's the point?" Luke growled.

"That's enough, Elena," Emma intervened.

"Are they right?" Elena asked. "Are they going to die?"

"And what difference would it make to you?"

"It doesn't. I want them dead. They're the whole reason my heart is broken."

"I think I've underestimated you, Elena. You and I are going to be good friends." Emma's cell then rang. "Hello? Good. Everything's going according to plan. Bring them to the storage area." She hung up. "Everything's falling into place. Elena, we'll be able to bump up the timetable for your boyfriend's resurrection sooner than I anticipated."

"How? I thought you needed a full moon."

"Well, I wasn't planning on apprehending the entirety of the Las Vegas Coven, but luck appears to be on my side. They have enough magic to fuel the spell."

"You're planning a resurrection!" one of the witches yelled. "That's the Devil's work." Emma rolled her eyes.

"Zip it!" Emma growled. She snapped her finger and the witch could no longer speak no matter how hard she tried. "Anyone else want to add to the commentary?" Silence. "Good. So I suggest if you want to survive, you sit down, keep your trap shut, and look pretty." Emma's guards then entered the room carrying Stefan, Caroline, and two coffins.

"Stefan, Caroline, what did you…" Elena asked.

"Relax. They fought my guards. They just vervained them to keep them compliant." Alaric then walked into the room with Charlotte and Abby. "Alright. Everyone's here. Let's get this party started." Emma's guards set Stefan and Caroline into some chairs. As the coffins were positioned in the room, Stefan and Caroline roused.

"What the…Elena? What's going on?" Stefan asked.

"What's going on is that I'm bringing your big bro back to life," Emma replied. Caroline and Stefan looked at each other, confused. "Let's keep things short and sweet, shall we? My name's Emma. I'm a vampire-witch. Elena and I have made a deal. In exchange for your…assistance in bringing down a bunch of power hungry humans who have their hands on the Ripper toxin, I will be reviving our dearly departed friends. Questions?"

"Wait, Damon's dead?" Charlotte asked, a devastated look on her face.

"Yes, Charlotte," Emma sighed. "Keep up."

"Now, I need one liter of blood from Elena, Charlotte, Abby, Caroline, and Stefan."

"Why should I help you?" Abby asked.

"I suggest you not speak to me in such a derisive tone, Abigail. One, you should help me because I'm bringing your daughter back. And two, so I don't rip your heart out of your chest. Young vampires. No respect. Now, Elena, first thing's first. You need to sign the contract so I can give everyone else their extra abilities." Emma produced a sheet of paper and Elena went to reach for a pen in her jacket. "Oh, no dear. No pens. Just bite your wrist and let your blood drip on the paper." Elena did as requested and as her blood dripped on the paper, it glowed, rolled up, and disappeared in a flash. "Just so you know, Caroline, Stefan, you'll be receiving the attributes of an Original save for the vulnerability to fire with this spell. Charles!" The man she called to produced a large jug and a blade.

"Cut your wrist with this and put your blood in the jug until it reaches the mark," the man ordered. The five vampires did as they were told and Charles took the jug over, next to Damon's coffin.

"Now comes the fun part," Emma smirked. She walked over to Bonnie and Damon's coffin and took a pair of bolt cutters. She removed the chains locking them up and flipped open the lids. Emma recoiled at Damon's body. "Good Lord, Damon. When you're going on a suicide mission, you sure as hell go all out."

"Just get on with it, would you? Your theatrics are making me nauseous," Damon replied. Emma shrugged and poured the jug of blood over Damon's body. She then took the knife and stabbed her hand all the way through it effortlessly.

"And a little of my blood for Mr. Salvatore and Ms. Bennett to bind the spell," Emma muttered as she let her blood fall on Damon and Bonnie's body. "Elena, come here for a moment." Elena approached Emma out of earshot from the others. "This spell requires the sacrifice of two witches. When I nod…"

"I understand," Elena replied.

"You aren't going to hesitate, are you? This is a one-shot deal."

"Trust me. I won't hesitate."

"Good. Let's begin." Emma then ran a path of salt around Damon and Bonnie's bodies. The witches cringed in pain as they felt the beginning effects of the spell. "Et ante tempus, et nihil sciens ante. Before time and after, before knowing and nothing." Emma nodded to Elena and she flashed toward Liv and Luke and extracted their hearts. Caroline and Stefan gasped in horror.

"Elena!" Caroline yelled.

"I'm not stopping until he's back," Elena replied before handing the hearts over to Emma. "Hanc igitur oblationem. Accept this offering. Nam lapis qui dormit et fictilibus. For thou who sleeps in stone and clay. Vocare huic surgite et audite. Heed this call, rise up and obey. Ianua mortalitatis iter per conveniunt iterum carnem ambulant. Trek through the Mortal door, assemble flesh and walk once more!" The witches writhed in pain and Bonnie and Damon's coffins glowed as their bodies healed themselves.

"Whoa. This feels weird," said Damon. His spirit was then sucked back into his body. Emma slammed her hands on the concrete and the magic dissipated. Emma rose up on shaky legs. Enzo was by her side immediately.

"Whew. That spell took a lot out of me."

"Is he…" Elena began. Emma nodded. She ran to the coffin and looked at Damon. With a groan, he woke up.

"Remind me to never die again," Damon growled. Elena broke down and hugged him. "Shh, babe. I told you I'd come back."


	4. Occupy Your Mind

He was so hungry. Being dead would do that to a guy. And not in the undead sense. Damon Salvatore had been dead-dead, trapped in a dimension, for weeks, unable to care for his lady love. And right now all he could think about was blood. This was worse than desiccation. Damon licked his lips as he separated from the porcelain neck of his dinner. The taste was better than he'd imagined. All that time dead had wiped away his taste buds so that even the polluted taste of the typical 21st century human felt like a refreshing drink of water. He could feel Elena's presence. She was close. He dropped the dead woman from his arms and watched as Elena walked down the median of the road, her own lips red with blood from her meal on the side of the road. She was a vision of beauty in a brown belted dress with a black leather jacket and brown boots.

"You know," Damon began, "I vaguely remember meeting a girl on a road quite like this." Elena met his smirk and flashed in front of him.

"Oh really?"

"Hmm. She's the love of my life." Elena jumped up and he caught her, kissing her.

A creak came from the basement of Emma's hotel and casino. Emma's heels clacked against the tile floor and she placed her hand on her hip as two naked bodies roused.

"Well, it's about time you two beauties woke up," Emma purred. She threw some clothes on the floor.

"Emma?" a girl resembling Elena replied.

"Get up. We've got work to do, Katerina, Nadia."

"What did you do to us?" Nadia asked.

"Me? I didn't do anything. I only did what little Miss Elena asked. I brought her boyfriend and best friend back to life and I tagged you two onto the spell. I needed a little insurance."

The door slammed open to Elena's hotel room which Enzo and Alaric had graciously vacated. Damon slammed her against the wall, kissing her senseless, his hand sliding up the silkiness of her thigh and dress. He had to make up for all this lost time, all the time their twin flames had almost been extinguished. Not to mention their blood high had them horny as hell. Elena's hands carded through Damon's hair and he growled when she clawed at his scalp. He pulled back her hair, revealing her perfect neck to him. They literally ripped each other's clothes off as they fumbled their way into the bedroom and beneath the sheets. Damon was a man starved. He had to show her how much he loved her. He had to make up for all the hurt he had inflicted on her.

"I can't believe it worked," Elena panted as Damon ground against her and laid kisses up her neck to behind her ear.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear as he slid into her. Elena moaned in pleasure.

"Yes." Their foreheads rested on each other and Damon caressed Elena's cheeks.

"God, I missed you." He kissed down to her collarbone. "Marry me."

"Yes," Elena laughed as they rocked against each other. "God, Damon." His hips pistoned into her and her nails clawed down his back. Her breasts rubbed against his chest as she met his intensity. Damon moaned when her inner walls clenched around him. And when climax hit her, Damon's desire poured out of him. He felt so out of control he couldn't help but fist her hair in his hand and bite her. He had to be inside her in every way possible.

"Sorry," he murmured when he pulled away, cursing his own impulses.

"You don't have to be sorry for that." The two laughed and separated in a sweaty heap. Damon pulled Elena on top of him and she laid her head on his chest.

"I'm sorry I broke my promise that I'd never leave you."

"You almost destroyed me. Every time I let it sink in I was never going to see you again, I…I felt like I was going to die. I can't live forever without you."

"I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know. Everything's going to be okay now."

"Not to be the bearer of bad news, but we still have to get Mystic Falls back."

"Emma will help us."

"Yeah. I guess."

"What happened when you were…"

"Dead?" Elena sighed. "I don't know. I can't remember. The longer I've been back, the more I start forgetting what it was like. And I remember having this important conversation, but I can't remember with who or what it was about. It's so damn frustrating." Damon then looked down and saw Elena had drifted off. He chuckled and stroked her hair. Elena moaned in her sleep. "Rest, my love. You've earned it." Suddenly, a flash of Damon's conversation with Emma hit him.

_Won't it be so much fun to corrupt her?_

_When I'm back, I will kill you._

_You can try, but I don't think you will when I'm done with you._

He closed his eyes. His memory was so fuzzy. What was Emma talking about? Damon sighed and relaxed into the bed with Elena. Maybe a good night's sleep would refresh his mind.

The following morning, the Imperial Café had been cleared out so Emma could hold a meeting with her new guests. Emma tapped her finger against the wood table. Stefan, Enzo, Alaric, Caroline, Bonnie, Jeremy, and Tyler had arrived on time. Jeremy and Tyler had taken a straight flight last night after receiving a phone call from Caroline.

"Where are they?" Emma gritted.

"Just relax," Enzo replied.

"I'll relax when the Society is dead!" she snapped. Elena and Damon then entered the room, holding hands and Damon in typical Damon-fashion whispering something inappropriate in her ear. "About damn time."

"You really should take Enzo's advice, Emma, before you have an aneurism," Damon replied, propping his feet up on the table. "Elena filled me in. Looks like we have quite the mess to clean up."

"We do and this time we're going to do it right. Not gouge out the eyes of one of Augustine's top scientists and allow him to spread his discoveries over the internet," Emma replied tartly.

"And how exactly do you propose we handle this situation, o wise one?" Enzo asked sarcastically.

"A tactical strike," Emma smirked. She reached into her briefcase and pulled out five files. She pushed them across the table. "My intelligence agent has discovered the identities of The Society's Board. Floros, Acherkamp, Omdahl, Lane, and Wingrodzki. These five members run The Society. The Ripper serum is being held in Society headquarters and they're going to walk us right through the front door."

"And how exactly is that going to happen?" Stefan asked skeptical. Emma rose from her chair.

"The Society is deathly in need of financial support. My human banker has gone to them on my behalf with a proposal. I've organized a fundraising gala. The five board members are attending along with the entirety of their R & D team. The only employees of The Society left will be low-level administrative staff. The first stage will be handled at the gala tonight. I trust you all will be able to follow my lead." Emma then left.

"What was that supposed to mean?" Caroline asked.

"We're going to eat well tonight," Enzo grinned before leaving. Jeremy and Bonnie looked like they were going to be sick.

"Jeremy, Bonnie, Tyler, head back to Mystic Falls and find a way to try to break the no-magic barrier in Mystic Falls. I don't trust that Emma truly has the power to remove it. The rest of us will deal with this situation," Damon replied. The three nodded and left. "We need to find a way out of this."

"Damon, I made a deal with Emma," Elena replied.

"Yeah. I'm starting to remember a conversation I had with her when I was dead, but that's beside the point. Emma can't be trusted."

"I thought you two were friends."

"Ex-friends. I stopped trusting Emma when she almost got me staked. The sooner this is over, the better…for all of us."

The day passed quickly as preparations were made by Emma's staff for the impending fundraising event in one of the ballrooms.

"You should prepare yourself," said Damon from the living room as he adjusted his tie and the suit jacket of his tux.

"For what?" Elena asked from the bathroom.

"What she'll ask us to do. She'll want us to slaughter them all." Elena then walked out of the bathroom in a stunning purple dress. Damon was speechless.

"If I get to have you for the rest of eternity, then it's worth it. Besides, it's better dealing with this now than having combat human hunters for the rest of her lives. I don't care, Damon. All I care about is having you back," Elena replied before kissing him.

"I love you."

"I love you."

"Come on. Let's get this over with." They walked downstairs and entered the ballroom where the entirety of the Valkyries and the vampires of Mystic Falls had gathered, drinking from champagne glasses. Enzo stood at the door with Emma on his arm as they greeted the incoming human scientists who had brought their wives. Emma had particularly struck up a conversation with Dr. Floros, the President of The Society.

"I want to thank you so much, Mr. and Mrs. Sarcosi for your generous donation and hospitality," Dr. Floros replied.

"Oh, it was nothing," Emma replied. "Please have a seat with the other guests. I'm due for my opening speech." Emma glided through the room, her black chiffon dress fluttering around her as she reached stage. She sent a look to two Valkyries and they walked to the back of the room near the open doors. "I want to thank all of my colleagues and guests for being able to come tonight. Tonight is a very special night in that we have made new friends among the esteemed doctors of The Society. Tonight is a night of new beginnings, the end of a scourge upon our kind. Tonight is the night we feast…on blood." The doctors and scientists looked among themselves and noticed veins crawling down the faces of some of the other guests. "Welcome to my parlor said the spider to the fly." Veins then crawled down Emma's face and she sped in front of Dr. Floros and bit his neck violently. Woman screamed and headed toward the door, but Emma's two vampires slammed it shut and locked it by bending a steel rebar over the knobs. For several minutes, screams filled the room and blood was spilt. Emma watched the carnage and searched Dr. Floros' pockets. She found a key card and smirked.

"Too easy," she replied. She pulled her cellphone out of her clutch and dialed a number. "The code is alpha-3-4-8-9-beta-kappa-0-0-1. Make it quick and raze it to ashes."

"What now?" Damon asked as he wiped his lips of blood.

"Humans. So gullible and clumsy," Emma smirked, showing him the card. "The lock to the chamber where the serum is kept." She took a remote from a table and turned on the TV. The main news story was the bombing of a building in Kansas City. "I had a team on stand-by."

"Why didn't you just target the President?" Elena asked.

"Lesson #1. Never leave survivors. They'll pass on their hatred to their children. I did what was necessary. I saved our entire race and you all helped me to do it."

"Erase the contracts," Damon replied. "Elena's fulfilled her end of the deal." Emma stepped in front of Damon.

"And why the hell should I do that? I like having pawns."

"Emma," Damon growled. Emma laughed.

"Fine, fine. You can't take a joke can you?" The contracts then appeared in Emma's hand and burned. "There. Your leashes are gone. Now how about I fix your living arrangements? A no-magic zone just will not do."


	5. Raised By Wolves

He was so hungry. Being dead would do that to a guy. And not in the undead sense. Damon Salvatore had been dead-dead, trapped in a dimension, for weeks, unable to care for his lady love. And right now all he could think about was blood. This was worse than desiccation. Damon licked his lips as he separated from the porcelain neck of his dinner. The taste was better than he'd imagined. All that time dead had wiped away his taste buds so that even the polluted taste of the typical 21st century human felt like a refreshing drink of water. He could feel Elena's presence. She was close. He dropped the dead woman from his arms and watched as Elena walked down the median of the road, her own lips red with blood from her meal on the side of the road. She was a vision of beauty in a brown belted dress with a black leather jacket and brown boots.

"You know," Damon began, "I vaguely remember meeting a girl on a road quite like this." Elena met his smirk and flashed in front of him.

"Oh really?"

"Hmm. She's the love of my life." Elena jumped up and he caught her, kissing her.

A creak came from the basement of Emma's hotel and casino. Emma's heels clacked against the tile floor and she placed her hand on her hip as two naked bodies roused.

"Well, it's about time you two beauties woke up," Emma purred. She threw some clothes on the floor.

"Emma?" a girl resembling Elena replied.

"Get up. We've got work to do, Katerina, Nadia."

"What did you do to us?" Nadia asked.

"Me? I didn't do anything. I only did what little Miss Elena asked. I brought her boyfriend and best friend back to life and I tagged you two onto the spell. I needed a little insurance."

The door slammed open to Elena's hotel room which Enzo and Alaric had graciously vacated. Damon slammed her against the wall, kissing her senseless, his hand sliding up the silkiness of her thigh and dress. He had to make up for all this lost time, all the time their twin flames had almost been extinguished. Not to mention their blood high had them horny as hell. Elena's hands carded through Damon's hair and he growled when she clawed at his scalp. He pulled back her hair, revealing her perfect neck to him. They literally ripped each other's clothes off as they fumbled their way into the bedroom and beneath the sheets. Damon was a man starved. He had to show her how much he loved her. He had to make up for all the hurt he had inflicted on her.

"I can't believe it worked," Elena panted as Damon ground against her and laid kisses up her neck to behind her ear.

"I love you," he whispered into her ear as he slid into her. Elena moaned in pleasure.

"Yes." Their foreheads rested on each other and Damon caressed Elena's cheeks.

"God, I missed you." He kissed down to her collarbone. "Marry me."

"Yes," Elena laughed as they rocked against each other. "God, Damon." His hips pistoned into her and her nails clawed down his back. Her breasts rubbed against his chest as she met his intensity. Damon moaned when her inner walls clenched around him. And when climax hit her, Damon's desire poured out of him. He felt so out of control he couldn't help but fist her hair in his hand and bite her. He had to be inside her in every way possible.

"Sorry," he murmured when he pulled away, cursing his own impulses.

"You don't have to be sorry for that." The two laughed and separated in a sweaty heap. Damon pulled Elena on top of him and she laid her head on his chest.

"I'm sorry I broke my promise that I'd never leave you."

"You almost destroyed me. Every time I let it sink in I was never going to see you again, I…I felt like I was going to die. I can't live forever without you."

"I never wanted to hurt you."

"I know. Everything's going to be okay now."

"Not to be the bearer of bad news, but we still have to get Mystic Falls back."

"Emma will help us."

"Yeah. I guess."

"What happened when you were…"

"Dead?" Elena sighed. "I don't know. I can't remember. The longer I've been back, the more I start forgetting what it was like. And I remember having this important conversation, but I can't remember with who or what it was about. It's so damn frustrating." Damon then looked down and saw Elena had drifted off. He chuckled and stroked her hair. Elena moaned in her sleep. "Rest, my love. You've earned it." Suddenly, a flash of Damon's conversation with Emma hit him.

_Won't it be so much fun to corrupt her?_

_When I'm back, I will kill you._

_You can try, but I don't think you will when I'm done with you._

He closed his eyes. His memory was so fuzzy. What was Emma talking about? Damon sighed and relaxed into the bed with Elena. Maybe a good night's sleep would refresh his mind.

The following morning, the Imperial Café had been cleared out so Emma could hold a meeting with her new guests. Emma tapped her finger against the wood table. Stefan, Enzo, Alaric, Caroline, Bonnie, Jeremy, and Tyler had arrived on time. Jeremy and Tyler had taken a straight flight last night after receiving a phone call from Caroline.

"Where are they?" Emma gritted.

"Just relax," Enzo replied.

"I'll relax when the Society is dead!" she snapped. Elena and Damon then entered the room, holding hands and Damon in typical Damon-fashion whispering something inappropriate in her ear. "About damn time."

"You really should take Enzo's advice, Emma, before you have an aneurism," Damon replied, propping his feet up on the table. "Elena filled me in. Looks like we have quite the mess to clean up."

"We do and this time we're going to do it right. Not gouge out the eyes of one of Augustine's top scientists and allow him to spread his discoveries over the Internet," Emma replied tartly.

"And how exactly do you propose we handle this situation, o wise one?" Enzo asked sarcastically.

"A tactical strike," Emma smirked. She reached into her briefcase and pulled out five files. She pushed them across the table. "My intelligence agent has discovered the identities of The Society's Board. Floros, Acherkamp, Omdahl, Lane, and Wingrodzki. These five members run The Society. The Ripper serum is being held in Society headquarters and they're going to walk us right through the front door."

"And how exactly is that going to happen?" Stefan asked skeptical. Emma rose from her chair.

"The Society is deathly in need of financial support. My human banker has gone to them on my behalf with a proposal. I've organized a fundraising gala. The five board members are attending along with the entirety of their R & D team. The only employees of The Society left will be low-level administrative staff. The first stage will be handled at the gala tonight. I trust you all will be able to follow my lead." Emma then left.

"What was that supposed to mean?" Caroline asked.

"We're going to eat well tonight," Enzo grinned before leaving. Jeremy and Bonnie looked like they were going to be sick.

"Jeremy, Bonnie, Tyler, head back to Mystic Falls and find a way to try to break the no-magic barrier in Mystic Falls. I don't trust that Emma truly has the power to remove it. The rest of us will deal with this situation," Damon replied. The three nodded and left. "We need to find a way out of this."

"Damon, I made a deal with Emma," Elena replied.

"Yeah. I'm starting to remember a conversation I had with her when I was dead, but that's beside the point. Emma can't be trusted."

"I thought you two were friends."

"Ex-friends. I stopped trusting Emma when she almost got me staked. The sooner this is over, the better…for all of us."

The day passed quickly as preparations were made by Emma's staff for the impending fundraising event in one of the ballrooms.

"You should prepare yourself," said Damon from the living room as he adjusted his tie and the suit jacket of his tux.

"For what?" Elena asked from the bathroom.

"What she'll ask us to do. She'll want us to slaughter them all." Elena then walked out of the bathroom in a stunning purple dress. Damon was speechless.

"If I get to have you for the rest of eternity, then it's worth it. Besides, it's better dealing with this now than having to combat human hunters for the rest of her lives. I don't care, Damon. All I care about is having you back," Elena replied before kissing him.

"I love you."

"I love you."

"Come on. Let's get this over with." They walked downstairs and entered the ballroom where the entirety of the Valkyries and the vampires of Mystic Falls had gathered, drinking from champagne glasses. Enzo stood at the door with Emma on his arm as they greeted the incoming human scientists who had brought their wives. Emma had particularly struck up a conversation with Dr. Floros, the President of The Society.

"I want to thank you so much, Mr. and Mrs. Sarcosi, for your generous donation and hospitality," Dr. Floros replied.

"Oh, it was nothing," Emma replied. "Please have a seat with the other guests. I'm due for my opening speech." Emma glided through the room, her black chiffon dress fluttering around her as she reached stage. She sent a look to two Valkyries and they walked to the back of the room near the open doors. "I want to thank all of my colleagues and guests for being able to come tonight. Tonight is a very special night in that we have made new friends among the esteemed doctors of The Society. Tonight is a night of new beginnings, the end of a scourge upon our kind. Tonight is the night we feast…on blood." The doctors and scientists looked among themselves and noticed veins crawling down the faces of some of the other guests. "Welcome to my parlor said the spider to the fly." Veins then crawled down Emma's face and she sped in front of Dr. Floros and bit his neck violently. Women screamed and headed toward the door, but Emma's two vampires slammed it shut and locked it by bending a steel rebar over the knobs. For several minutes, screams filled the room and blood was spilt. Emma watched the carnage and searched Dr. Floros' pockets. She found a key card and smirked.

"Too easy," she replied. She pulled her cellphone out of her clutch and dialed a number. "The code is alpha-3-4-8-9-beta-kappa-0-0-1. Make it quick and raze it to ashes."

"What now?" Damon asked as he wiped his lips of blood.

"Humans. So gullible and clumsy," Emma smirked, showing him the card. "The lock to the chamber where the serum is kept." She took a remote from a table and turned on the TV. The main news story was the bombing of a building in Kansas City. "I had a team on stand-by."

"Why didn't you just target the President?" Elena asked.

"Lesson #1. Never leave survivors. They'll pass on their hatred to their children. I did what was necessary. I saved our entire race and you all helped me to do it."

"Erase the contracts," Damon replied. "Elena's fulfilled her end of the deal." Emma stepped in front of Damon.

"And why the hell should I do that? I like having pawns."

"Emma," Damon growled. Emma laughed.

"Fine, fine. You can't take a joke can you?" The contracts then appeared in Emma's hand and burned. "There. Your leashes are gone. Now how about I fix your living arrangements? A no-magic zone just will not do."


End file.
